UEN Numbers in Singapore: A Founder's Guide to Format, Lookup, and Display

Every Singapore business has one. Every grant application, bank form, invoice, and contract asks for it. And yet most founders we meet can't tell you exactly what their UEN is or where to find it when their bank suddenly asks.

This guide covers the practical: what a UEN is, how to read your own, how to look up someone else's on Bizfile+, when you're required to display it, and how it differs from the other identifiers that crop up in Singapore business life (NRIC, FIN, GST number, TIN).

What is a Singapore UEN?

A Unique Entity Number (UEN) is the official identification number for every entity registered in Singapore: companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, charities, societies, schools, statutory boards, and Singapore branches of foreign companies. It was introduced in 2009 as a national standard identifier and is issued by the agency that registers the entity (ACRA for most businesses).

A UEN is:

• Unique: no two entities share a UEN
• Permanent: it stays with the entity for its lifetime, and is not reused after closure
• Cross-agency: the same number identifies you to ACRA, IRAS, CPF Board, banks, grant agencies, MOM, and any other government touchpoint

You receive it automatically when you register the entity. No separate application.

Who needs a UEN, and who doesn't

You'll be issued a UEN if you register:

• Pte Ltd, public, or other companies (via ACRA)
• Sole proprietorship or partnership business names (via ACRA)
• LLP or LP (via ACRA)
• Singapore branch of a foreign company (via ACRA)
• Society (via the Registry of Societies)
• Charity or IPC (via the Commissioner of Charities and sector regulators)
• School (via MOE), healthcare institution (via MOH), trade union, religious body

You do not get a UEN as an informal freelancer or side-hustler invoicing under your personal NRIC without registering. The moment you register a sole proprietorship, the UEN is issued with the registration. If you're working out which structure to use, our sole proprietorship vs Pte Ltd guide walks through the trade-offs.

UEN format: how to read your number

UEN format depends on entity type and when the number was issued.

The pieces of the revised format:

• T = prefix indicating the revised UEN system
• yy = last two digits of the year of registration
• PQ = two-letter entity-type code (LL = LLP, LP = limited partnership, FC = foreign company branch, SS = society, etc.)
• nnnn = four-digit serial number
• X = checksum letter generated from the preceding digits

For local companies registered from 2009 onwards, you'll typically see the 10-character YYYYNNNNNX form. Older companies (pre-2009) had different conventions; their numbers were mapped into the UEN framework when the system was introduced.

How to look up a UEN on Bizfile+

ACRA's portal Bizfile+ (bizfile.gov.sg) is where you search for ACRA-registered entities: companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, and LPs.

To find a UEN:

1. Go to bizfile.gov.sg
2. Use the entity search box on the homepage
3. Enter the company name or UEN, then run the search
4. Open the business profile to confirm the UEN, entity status, registered address, and key officers

For entities outside ACRA's scope (charities, societies, schools, statutory boards), use the national UEN directory at uen.gov.sg, which searches across all issuing agencies.

Both portals are free for the basic search. A full ACRA business profile (with shareholders, directors, and history) is a paid extract on Bizfile+.

UEN vs NRIC vs FIN vs GST number vs TIN

This is the comparison that trips up most founders. They look similar, but each identifies a different thing.

So:

• For your company, the UEN is your everyday identifier.
• The GST registration number is separate: only relevant if your business is GST-registered. It's issued by IRAS, not ACRA, and follows a different format.
• For a founder's personal dealings (personal tax filings, personal CPF contributions), the NRIC or FIN is used.
• For FATCA/CRS forms from banks, the entity uses its UEN as the Singapore tax identifier.

When and where do you need to display the UEN?

The Companies Act 1967 requires registered companies to display their name and registration number (the UEN) on business letters, statements of account, invoices, and other official documents. The Business Names Registration Act 2014 carries similar requirements for sole proprietorships and partnerships. In practice, that covers:

• Invoices and receipts
• Quotations and purchase orders
• Contracts and service agreements
• Letterhead and official correspondence
• Email signatures and business cards (best practice)
• Business websites and e-commerce checkout pages
• Bank account opening forms
• Grant application forms
• Sector-specific licensing applications (e.g. MOM, IMDA, MAS, NEA depending on activity)

A typical compliant invoice footer reads: "ABC Pte. Ltd. (UEN: 202412345K), Registered office: ...". For sector-specific signage and advertising disclosure rules, check the licensing authority for your activity.

UEN, corporate banking, and PayNow Corporate

Every Singapore bank requires the UEN to open a corporate bank account, alongside your ACRA business profile, constitution, and director or shareholder identification.

Secondly, your UEN can be registered as a PayNow Corporate identifier, which lets customers and government agencies pay you directly using the UEN as the proxy. Many EnterpriseSG grant disbursements are paid via PayNow to a UEN-linked corporate account.

Special UEN (SUN): paying for a memorable number

ACRA offers a Special UEN (SUN) service for entities that want a memorable number, useful for branding, ease of recall, or vanity. There are two paid tiers:

• Tier 1 (S$3,000): premium patterns including repeating digits and lucky number combinations (e.g. 20188888A, T18LL7777F)
• Tier 2 (S$1,000): patterned numbers (e.g. T18LL1222N, 201812121R)

SUN is only available at the point of registration; you can't apply for one after incorporation. If you want a different number later, you'd need to register a new entity. Most founders don't bother; the default UEN is functionally identical. Full pricing and rules on ACRA's Special UEN page.

What happens if you change name, restructure, or close?

A few common scenarios founders ask about:

• Renaming the company. The UEN does not change. You update the registered name via Bizfile+, but the UEN stays the same.
• Conversion (e.g. sole prop to Pte Ltd). This is a new entity in ACRA's eyes, so a new UEN is issued for the Pte Ltd. The sole prop's UEN remains attached to the historical record.
• Striking off, winding up, or dissolution. The UEN remains in the public record as the historical identifier for the closed entity. It is never reused for another entity.
• Change of shareholders or directors. No effect on UEN.
• Change of business address. No effect on UEN.

The UEN is the constant; it survives almost everything except a structural change of the entity itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find my company's UEN?

The fastest route is your ACRA business profile or your incorporation documents. If you've lost both, search your company name on bizfile.gov.sg; the UEN appears on the public-facing search result.

Is my UEN the same as my GST registration number?

No. The UEN is your entity identifier, issued by ACRA. The GST registration number is issued by IRAS only if your business is GST-registered (compulsory above S$1 million annual taxable turnover, or voluntary below that). For more on when you need to register, see our GST registration guide.

Can two entities share the same UEN?

No. Every UEN is unique to one entity and is not reused even after the entity is dissolved.

Do foreign companies operating in Singapore need a UEN?

If they register a Singapore branch or subsidiary, yes: the branch or subsidiary receives a Singapore UEN. A purely foreign company with no Singapore presence does not have a Singapore UEN.

Is the UEN required to open a corporate bank account?

Yes. Every Singapore bank requires the UEN, along with your incorporation documents (ACRA business profile, constitution, and director/shareholder identification), to open a corporate account.

The UEN is one of those things you ignore for months, then need urgently at 11pm before a grant deadline. Save your Bizfile+ business profile to a folder and you'll thank yourself later.

If you're setting up a new business or restructuring an existing one, book a free consultation. We handle incorporation, corporate secretary work, and the ongoing ACRA filings that keep your UEN (and the rest of your business profile) in good standing.